


Imprinted

by Sugar_Junkie



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, I'm Sorry, Investigations, Mystery, No Smut, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, i think, nanu is salty, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-09-12 03:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9052564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugar_Junkie/pseuds/Sugar_Junkie
Summary: Nanu disliked the rain. It made his joints ache, reminding him that he was getting older, the cold and humidity occasionally reawakening the phantom pain of old half-forgotten wounds. But worst of all, the rain was a messy affair that filled his sandals with muddy water, making him waddle and almost slip every five steps. To preserve the shattered remains of his dignity, he tended to avoid going out at all if it weren’t a matter of life or death.Unfortunately, he was running low on food.





	1. Rainy Day

It was raining.

Which wasn’t saying much. It was always raining. Sometimes Nanu wondered if that was the reason why Guzma picked Po Town, so that he’d have a permanent dramatic background for his antics. Say whatever you wanted about the guy, but you had to admit he has a certain sense for flair. Too bad that sense didn’t extend to hygiene.

Nanu disliked the rain. It made his joints ache, reminding him that he was getting older, the cold and humidity occasionally reawakening the phantom pain of old half-forgotten wounds. But worst of all, the rain was a messy affair that filled his sandals with muddy water, making him waddle and almost slip every five steps. To preserve the shattered remains of his dignity, he tended to avoid going out at all if it weren’t a matter of life or death.

Unfortunately, he was running low on food. While he was fine skipping a meal or two, his Meowths weren’t. Maybe he should listen to Acerola and move out of the old police station… The rent was cheap but going all the way to Malie City was a hassle, even if he paged a Charizard. Flying with a thunderstorm lashing at your face was unpleasant. At best.

“Be good while I’m away.”

He got no answer beside of a flurry of paw steps and a pile of magazines falling on the floor as the little monsters chased each other across the room. Oh well. With a shrug and a faint smile, he left the station, not bothering to lock the door. He didn’t have anything worth stealing and the Team Skull kids tended to see locks as a challenge rather than an interdiction. That, and the fact that a horde of starving Meowths was the best security system one could wish for anyway.

The weather was as terrible as it had seemed from inside. Nanu took shelter under the roof edge, clicked his pager and waited. The Charizard that dropped from the sky was the usual one, an old female whose orange scales were slowly fading to peach. She glared at him, tucking her tail under her wing.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” He grumbled as he adjusted the saddle. “I’m not having the time of my life either.”

She snorted out steam, which probably translated to the pokemon equivalent of ‘serves you right’, and patiently waited for him to finish his preparations before taking flight. It wasn’t a long travel by any means, but the rain did not let up and by the time they reached Malie City Nanu was drenched. His shirt was clinging to his back like a second, gross, icy skin. He slid down the pokemon’s back and patted her neck.

“Thanks for the ride, girl. Go find some shelter.”

Huffing, the Charizard unfolded her wings and left as fast as the wind could carry her. She probably wouldn’t go too far, though. She knew he would have to go home eventually and, as much as she made a show of being cranky and fussy, she never let any of the younger Charizards pick him up.

To Nanu’s relief, the grocery store was almost empty outside of the employees. He had never wanted to be Kahuna, but did that stop people from making ridiculous demands? Of course not. Being able to buy toilet paper and kibble without being bothered for once was a true luxury.

“Alola!”

Well, that's what he got for being optimistic... He turned to face the voice. A man wearing the Aether Foundation’s uniform smiled to him, looking as nondescript as he humanly could. Nanu’s skin crawled at the sight. He didn’t know what, but something about those people always felt a bit... off. Maybe it was that obsession with wearing only white. How did the saying go, “too clean to be true”? Or maybe it was the way their smiles never really reached their eyes.

“...What do you want?”

The man’s expression didn’t falter. If anything, his grin got wider. Creepy.

“It’s a good thing you’re here, Kahuna. I was about to pay you a visit as soon as the weather cleared up!”

“Is that so.” Nanu deadpanned. The man nodded vigorously.

“We wanted to warn you that someone stole important research materials from the Foundation. We found the remains of the boat they used along the coast, so chances are they’re still around here.”

Nanu quirked a brow.

“You went to the police?”

“Of course we did!” The offended look on the Aether employee’s face almost made Nanu smirk. He shook his head slowly. “It’s just that, considering your role on the Island... We thought it’d be best to also keep you updated on the situation.”

Nanu snorted, eyeing wistfully the kibble bags down the aisle and wishing he could go back in time and never have to have this conversation.

“Right. What kind of ‘important research materials’ are we even talking about?“

“I can’t really tell you, it’s confidential.” The employee replied, “It’s nothing dangerous by itself, but in the wrong hands…”

The white clad man handed him a business card. White and gold, of course, and looking as pompous as one would expect.

“If you see anyone suspicious, give us a call. Please.”

“Sure thing.”

He pocketed it. With some luck, he would forget it was there and machine wash it along with the pants and thus never have to think about it again.

“Well then… Have a good afternoon, Kahuna.”

He watched him leave until the pale shape of his coat vanished into the rain. After spending so many years of service in the International Police Force, he had gained a fairly solid instinct. And right now, his bullshit detector was pinging loudly in the back of his mind. Something smelled fishy, and it wasn’t his Persian’s mouth for once.

He tried to push those thoughts away, focussing only on paying for his groceries and getting home without catching the flu. He was retired after all, and solving mysteries was not part of the whole Kahuna deal. Old habits died hard, didn’t they? Maybe he was just bored. He should call Hala and ask the guy if he wanted to play cards or something… Fuck, he really was getting old. Just wait for it, in a minute he’d start yelling at the Team Skull kids to get off his lawn.

The image got a chuckle out of him. Then he noticed prints on his doorstep.

Muddy, human, prints.

He abandoned his groceries on the ground. The silence was only disturbed by the pitter-patter of the rain and Nanu’s heartbeat thundering in his ears. In that moment, his stiff back and aching joints were all but forgotten. He released his Persian from her Pokeball. She landed on her feet silently and stretched, fur rippling with each graceful move, claws glimmering in the darkness. He nodded to her. She gave him a bored look, her apparent aloofness only betrayed by the twitching of her tail. Nanu padded to the entrance and opened the door...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Teddybear of Death for helping me beta that thing! English isn't my first language so I apologize if there's any mistakes and/or typos. I'm just a lil bean doing my best.
> 
> Also I'm not sure about the title, I might also change that later on.


	2. Moonlit Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moon liked to sleep in till noon, her favorite color was red and she probably would trade her soul for a slice of sitrus berry pie. But if you were to ask her mother, the most important thing to know about her was this: you didn’t just tell her “no”. Forbidding Moon from doing a thing only made doing the thing her number one priority. And for an eleven year old, she was remarkably driven.

Steps echoed loudly in the white corridor. Her own steps, Moon knew, but she looked over her shoulder once more. Just to be sure. No one was sneaking behind her and the empty corridor remained empty. She bit her lip and snickered.

She had done it!

Moon liked to sleep in till noon, her favorite color was red and she probably would trade her soul for a slice of sitrus berry pie. But if you were to ask her mother, the most important thing to know about her was this: you didn’t just tell her “no”. Forbidding Moon from doing a thing only made doing the thing her number one priority. And for an eleven year old, she was remarkably driven.

Her mother would explain why doing something would be unwise and trust her daughter to make the right choice. Or she made it sounds so tedious and dull that Moon dropped it altogether by herself, but she never said “no”. Turns out that no one at the Aether Foundation had gotten the memo. Oh, she wasn’t allowed in the lab?

Just watch her.

*************

The Thrifty Megamart waited for her, silent and still under the starlight. Her Torracat brushed against her leg. Moon scratched his head and he purred, leaning into the touch. She smiled to him before turning back to the Megamart.

“Okay, step one... Are you ready, Ember?”

He mewled with enthusiasm and trotted to the entrance, clearly looking forward to the fight. People had warned Moon when she had picked the small Litten as her starter. These pokemons were “difficult”, and it would only get worse over time as he evolved and grew. She wouldn’t be able to handle an Incineroar. She could still change her mind and trade him back to Professor Kukui, it wasn’t too late… Wouldn’t she prefer a nice Rowlet or a cute Popplio?

They were wrong: Ember and her got along like a house on fire. So what if he hated being ordered around? So what if he acted like a spoiled brat at times? So what if he liked to fight a bit too much for it to be healthy? She was the same. And Moon refused to be the kind of trainer that abandoned her pokemons because she sucked too much to properly care for them.

Turning her thoughts back to the present, the teen followed her pokemon and crept through the doors. She stood there for a moment, taking in the thick smell of mold and dust. Nothing had changed since the trial, it seemed. It might have gotten even messier, but it was hard to tell. Something moved in the corner of her eye, and a chill traveled down her spine. They were expected…

Mirroring her thoughts, Ember’s bell got brighter. In the flickering light, the Megamart looked even creepier, shadows dancing menacingly around them. Moon’s eyes darted back to the entrance… No. They were here now. No turning back.

“Stay close, okay?” she whispered as she took a step forward.

The Torracat mewled impatiently, but matched her pace. They ignored the checkout belts starting by themselves and the cans falling from the shelves, pushing through the rotting cardboard boxes until they reached the back of the building. Moon petted the dusty plushies’ head, feeling kinda sorry for them. Toys were meant to be played with, weren’t they? But then again, maybe it was for the best. A little company for all the ghosts that haunted the place.

She shivered again, the chill spreading from her her head to her toes. Speaking of the devil...

“Ember…”

He growled and clawed at the floor, fur bristling with each move of his powerful body. For a moment everything was silent, a heavy stillness like the calm before the storm.

Ember hit Moon with all of his weight, sending her rolling away. She hit the ground just in time to dodge what looked like a family-sized ravioli can. It exploded against the wall with a wet, disgusting crunch. Without the Torracat’s lightning fast reflexes, that could have been her head…

And there she was, all crimson red eyes and bright teeth. Moon jumped back to her feet and faced the wild Gengar. She opened her hands slowly, palms up. A peace gesture. As ridiculous as it might have sounded, she didn’t want to spook her.

“I knew you would come. You followed me around before, didn’t you? During the trial.”

The Gengar didn’t attack or run away, which was good, but she didn’t get any closer either. She just… Swayed back and forth. Moon wasn’t even sure she was listening.

“I’m Moon and this is Ember,” the trainer continued. “We’re planning a prank. So, uh… Well. Since last time you seemed kinda curious about us, we were wondering if you’d like to join us?”

The Gengar giggled. Two more cans hit the wall, grazing the teen’s scalp, sending her black hair flying. A manic smile spread on Moon’s lips. So she didn’t care about talking? She wanted to fight? Give them a run for their money? That was fine too.

“Ember, Bite!”

The Torracat ran, scraps of ceramics flying around him as cans and boxes crashed against the floor barely missing him. He pounced, but the Gengar jumped away, smiling like she was having the time of her life, and flinged a stack of rotting newspapers right to his face. With a yowl, Ember retreated to his trainer’s side. So… Fighting the regular way wouldn’t do, obviously… 

“To the exit!”

Moon dashed to the left as Ember ran to the right. The wild Gengar’s eyes flared up, face twisting in a snarl as she went after the small human. And she did… something. Terror crept up Moon’s veins like icy water, so cold it felt like she’d never know warmth again. She couldn’t move anymore, feet glued to the ground. It dawned on her: Mean Look, that’s what it was! She had heard stories, but experiencing first hand that absolute loss of control, that deep primordial fear? That was something else entirely.

The exit sign glowed ahead, just out of reach. The only sound Moon could hear over the deafening ring in her ears was her own breathing. In and out, in and out, laborious breaths pulling the freezing air inside her chest. The Gengar loomed over her. She knew Moon couldn’t flee anymore and she was taking her time, creeping slowly to her prey, one step at a time.  
Closer.  
Closer.  
Closer.  
Moon swallowed one last deep breath… And screamed at the top of her lungs:

“Fire Fang!”

The wild pokemon didn’t have time to turn and face the attack. Ember jumped from behind, flames overflowing from his maw. He closed his fangs around the Gengar’s arm. She shrieked and tried to shake him off, bashing herself against the walls, but he only growled louder and held on. The heat of the fire brushed over Moon’s skin, shaking her out of her trance-like state. She ignored the screams and the roars as she foraged through her bag frantically. Her fingers finally closed around the object she was looking for.

“Ember, now!” She screamed as she threw the Dusk Ball at the Gengar.

The Torracat let go immediately, kicked and jumped away, landing by Moon’s side. Red light swallowed the wild pokemon, the Pokeball fell to the floor with a hollow thud. Moon’s heart raced as she stared. Ember crouched, ready to jump back into the fray. He was probably hoping just for that actually, for the fight to carry on. He liked fighting too much to be satisfied with just a skirmish.

Eventually, the Dusk Ball stilled. The Torracat yawned and stretched, disappointment painted on his face.

“We made it!” Moon giggled.

She felt giddy, almost light-headed. It was probably a side-effect of all the adrenaline pumping in her veins, and she loved it. Nothing got her going quite like an intense fight. She released her new teammate. The pokemon took a few steps and twirled. Moon wasn’t used to her mannerism enough to read her emotions, but she seemed pleased. Language was a barrier and it would take a while for the two of them to learn how to communicate properly. Meanwhile, Moon could only make educated guesses and hope for the best.

“I think I’ll call you… Sparkle. What do you think, do you like it?”

The Gengar gave her a thumb up. Well. How was that for communicating?

*************

With Sparkle on board, the rest of the plan had gone without a hitch. Getting the guard to take off his helmet, putting him to sleep using Hypnosis, using his card to unlock the lab’s door, avoiding the cameras… it had all gone like a breeze.

But once the joy of having made it inside faded off… Moon couldn’t shake off the sense of unease that clinged to the nape of her neck like a stranger’s cold clammy hand. Something was wrong. She looked over her shoulder once more. Still no one. Sparkle and her were alone in that endless white corridor. And yet… She didn’t know what it was about that place but the Aether Paradise didn’t seem much like a paradise at all anymore. Something in the way the sound reverberated gave her the creeps. Sparkle seemed nervous too, which only fueled Moon’s paranoia. She walked a little faster.

All the doors remained closed, the light merely flashing red when she tried to swipe the card she had stolen from that guard. Seemed like it didn’t unlock anything aside from the first door… Well that was no fun. Between that and the creepy atmosphere, she was more and more tempted to just leave, go home, and try to forget that place.

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she almost didn’t realised she had reached the end of the corridor. One second later, and she would have smacked her forehead against the door. It was white, like all the others. But somehow, looking at it gave her goosebumps. Something was wrong. She didn’t know what, exactly, but the feel of that room… It wasn’t like the Thrifty Megamart. This place was much, much worse.

“It must be a broom closet or something,” she whispered to her Gengar. “It’s probably closed, anyway.”

She didn’t sound very convincing, even to her own ears, but Sparkle was kind enough to pretend she hadn’t noticed the small shake in her voice. She swiped the card into the reader.

The light blinked green.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! But life happened and fight scenes are pretty hard for me to write ^^'
> 
> This chapter had no beta reader, so again I'm sorry if there's any mistakes. English isn't my first language. If you see typos or grammar mistakes, be sure to let me know ;)
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and sorry for the late update.


End file.
